Le Du Kaan — Restaurant in Yan Nawa Subdistrict

Bangkok’s rooftop bars are multiplying faster than Pattaya’s German schnitzel joints, so what makes Le Du Kaan stand out compared to other rooftop joints? ⚇ For starters, it’s perched at the new Empire Building, a gleaming icon that’s drawing attention away from Sukhumvit, Thonglor, and Chidlom. Naturally, my wife and I with Jasmine (our dear friend) decided to make the pilgrimage from Singapore for Christmas Eve, lured by the promise of breathtaking views and impeccable Thai cuisine.

Arriving on the 56th-floor terrace, the setting did not disappoint. The décor struck a perfect harmony—traditional Thai gold accents blending seamlessly with sleek, modern furniture, all bathed in impeccably balanced lighting. It’s a visual symphony that takes your breath away—though perhaps not as much as the encounter with the hostess to come.....read below.

At precisely 6:50 PM, we approached the hostess inside the restaurant, who I believe was Khun Na (cant remember the name exactly). She had an annoyed look and promptly declared our reservation canceled because, "why you come late?” I politely pointed out our booking was for 7 PM, showing her the confirmation email, to which she responded with a classic: “I never received this.” Despite my efforts to demonstrate the restaurant itself had sent the email, she refused to budge, opting for panic over professionalism. “Look, I cannot guarantee,” she mumbled, as then wandered off. Not exactly the Christmas spirit one hopes for after flying 2,000 kilometers for dinner.

Fortunately, my go-to strategy in such situations is to skip the amateurs and escalate to the professionals. I stepped onto the terrace and found Khun Opal, the assistant manager. After explaining the fiasco, I kindly requested a table—preferably one not managed by Khun Na. To her credit, Khun Opal quickly rectified the situation. We enjoyed delightful cocktails at the bar and, within 45 minutes, were seated at a terrace table. A big thanks to Khun Opal and the general manager as well as the guest relations, all of whom apologized for the earlier debacle.

Now, onto the good stuff: the cocktails were fantastic, and the food mostly lived up to the hype surrounding Chef Ton’s creations. The grilled river prawn (goong mae nam yang) and grilled wagyu tongue (lin yang) were standout dishes, and the desserts capped off the meal beautifully. That said, if you’re visiting solely for the food, you might feel underwhelmed. Le Du Kaan shines as a holistic experience—a harmony of views, ambiance, cocktails, and cuisine.

In summary, one star deducted for the hostess’s comically poor service (a future career in something far from hospitality is recommended), but thanks to the team’s quick service recovery, we still had a memorable night. Le Du Kaan is a place to savor, but preferably with the right people managing the...

Disastrous Experience at Le Du Kaan - a "Modern" Thai Cuisine Restaurant

I visited this contemporary Thai restaurant on Oct 7, 2024, and sampled 15 dishes from the menu. Unfortunately, the experience was far from satisfactory. The food felt like a high-level imitation, with some dishes being absolutely inedible - had to return back to kitchen. It was a disappointing attempt at modern Thai cuisine—just pretending to be high-end. One example: Catch of The Day is FARMED fish (NOT a wild catch) delivered from somewhere. Staff could not name the fish, or from where it came. What a joke!

What made the situation worse was the service. There was no manager on duty between 5 pm and 10:30 pm, which is unacceptable for a restaurant that just opened two weeks ago. Half of the staff was arrogant and pretentious, while the other half seemed completely incompetent, hiding behind the bar. The restaurant was extremely overstaffed, yet the efficiency was zero. We had to wave multiple times to get service and, on several occasions, had to pour our own wine and water as none of the 30 staff members would attend to us.

The menu design was another disaster. It was a small menu stretched across 30 pages for just 60 items, making it difficult and frustrating to navigate. The wine list consisted of 30 sour and bitter French wines, with only one mediocre option from New Zealand. Improvement is sorely needed here.

After encountering several mistakes, we requested to speak to a manager four times, but the staff continuously lied, claiming the manager was working when they clearly were not, because they never came out. It was an absolute circus in terms of management, simply because there is NO management.

The interior design was also poorly thought out. Thirty percent of the space was wasted on water features between tables, which are bound to cause accidents. In fact, we witnessed a guest step into the water by mistake, and the staff offered them a dirty towel in response. Not quite the fine dining experience you'd expect.

The only redeeming factor was the 180-degree view, but even that can't make up for the overall chaos. Chef Ton, if you care about your brand, you need to address this immediately. This restaurant, with its $20M+ investment, is being managed by people who clearly have no idea what they are...

I visited this restaurant on Songkran Day 14 Apr at 6pm, and while there were some highlights, the overall experience did not meet expectations—particularly for a venue that identifies as fine dining.

Starting with the positives: the view was outstanding and truly enhanced the atmosphere. The ambiance was pleasant, and the food quality was good. The dessert was interesting in concept, though not quite to my personal taste. Overall, I would rate the food and setting 7 out of 10.

However, several aspects of the service and reservation process require significant improvement.

The dining service itself was generally standard, though it showed signs of being slightly overwhelmed as more guests arrived. What stood out most, unfortunately, was the lack of coordination and professionalism during the reservation process, which fell far below expectations for a fine dining establishment.

I made a reservation two weeks in advance through LINE OA, which acknowledged the booking but failed to provide a proper confirmation. I was not given the opportunity to select a table, and communication via phone was met with a dismissive and unhelpful attitude from the receptionist.

On the day of our visit, the restaurant was not fully booked, yet upon arrival, my name was not on the guest list. I was informed that while they might note table preferences, these could not be guaranteed—an understandable policy. However, in this case, it appeared that no note or booking was recorded at all.

To her credit, the staff member at the door quickly accommodated us and guided us to a terrace table for two. While this gesture was appreciated, the table was more suitable for drinks than a full meal and did not offer the comfort expected for a dining experience.

In conclusion, while the food and view were enjoyable, the overall experience was undermined by a disorganized reservation system and a lack of professional front-of-house service. I hope the management will take this feedback constructively, as there is potential if these key areas are addressed.

At this time, I would not return, nor would I recommend...